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Apr 12, 2001
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Reuters reports that China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua has once again publicly stated that the world's largest mobile phone carrier is engaged in talks with Apple about offering the iPhone to its customers.
"We've been actively talking to Apple on how we can cooperate," China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua, who assumed the post in March, told a shareholders meeting. "I can't give you too many details, but I'd like to repeat that both sides do hope to boost our cooperation," Xi added after the meeting.
China Unicom was Apple's launch partner for the iPhone in China, and availability expanded to China Telecom earlier this year. Compatibility with China Mobile's network has, however, been hampered by the carrier's custom technology that would require specialized iPhone hardware to operate on the network. But with future wireless modem chips adding compatibility for China Mobile's network, it is possible that the next-generation iPhone could be directly compatible with China Mobile's network, eliminating the need for custom hardware to suit the carrier.

china_mobile_iphone_promo.jpg



China Mobile already has 15 million iPhone customers on its network, even though those customers are limited to the carrier's 2G network due to the differences in standards for 3G networks. The carrier has even taken to officially supporting those customers with a SIM-cutting service and other resources.

Xi's predecessor, Wang Jianzhou, stated several times that China Mobile was in talks with Apple about the iPhone, so it is unclear whether Xi's statements indicate that progress is being made or if there is simply an ongoing dialog between the two companies that has yet to lead to a firm relationship.

Article Link: China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple
 
Apple would have to make an iPhone with radio technology unique to China Mobile. There are 600 Million customers... but still Apple would have to make a special iPhone model just for them. Apple needs to figure out if it is worth it to go through the trouble and costs of doing it. Just because China Mobile has that many customers, doesn't mean Apple will sell all of them an iPhone. Android is popular in China too so many customers will go that route. China Mobile can help by subsidizing some of the cost. That is the reason for such negotiations.
 
"I want Samsung's marketshare..." - Apple

"I want iPhone products..." - China Mobile

"I want some of that purple stuff..." - Black kid in Sunny D commercial
 
I doubt they are going to get the 4S. They're going to get the next model if things work out. Why? 3G uses TD-SCDMA and their 4G uses TD-LTE. If I remember correctly, the new .28 nm LTE radios from Qualcomm support those standards, which I am pretty sure is what Apple is going to use.
 
Apple would have to make an iPhone with radio technology unique to China Mobile. There are 600 Million customers... but still Apple would have to make a special iPhone model just for them. Apple needs to figure out if it is worth it to go through the trouble and costs of doing it. Just because China Mobile has that many customers, doesn't mean Apple will sell all of them an iPhone. Android is popular in China too so many customers will go that route. China Mobile can help by subsidizing some of the cost. That is the reason for such negotiations.

Ok then why was there an CDMA iPhone 4 released for those few Verizon customers?
 
Apple could rule China

If China Mobile could somehow make and agreement with Apple even with their unruly terms, Apple would have a complete monopoly in China. China Mobile is larger than China Telecom and Unicom combined. Even though this carrier is known for selling mostly lower end phones with mosty 2G service, Apple could easily connect the higher-end users with the lower-end ones, creating a new way to look at that mosnterous carrier.
 
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